


The Dark Archer

by Dreamsofnever



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-20
Updated: 2017-02-27
Packaged: 2018-05-15 05:14:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 19,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5772622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamsofnever/pseuds/Dreamsofnever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>HIVE has an archer of its own that will cause quite a lot of trouble for Team Arrow.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pretty Bird

The archer sat at the top of the building, waiting. His orders were clear-his target should be here and he was to take the man out. Green Arrow had been a thorn in his boss' side for too long. And what type of cheesy name was Green Arrow, anyway? That was something that gave you permission to turn. Not a name that would strike fear into the hearts of criminals.

Suddenly, the rag tag team of leather-clad vigilantes burst onto the scene. Some of Darhk's ghosts were keeping them busy. The archer drew back his bow and watched the green-clad figure, waiting for the perfect shot.

He hesitated as the blonde darted into view, weaving and throwing punch after punch. There was something achingly familiar about the way she moved, and about the lines of the body clad in black leather. He shoved aside that sense of deja vous, doing his best to ignore the discomfort that bubbled under the surface. There was no reason that he would know this woman. If he'd had a life before HIVE, he didn't remember it. Nor did he care to. All that mattered now was the mission.

His attention returned to his target, as the Green Arrow seemed to move into just the right spot for his arrow. He pulled his bow string back, ready to let it fly. His eyes caught sight of the blonde yet again. One of the ghosts looked poised to overtake her.

The dark archer let loose his arrow. He watched as it buried itself into the ghost. The blonde looked up and he was almost certain that she could see him. He swore softly and then turned and raced across the rooftop. He fired off a zipline arrow as he heard a grappling hook thud against the edge of the building.

He slid onto the next building and turned to look behind himself for just a moment as the blonde made it up to the rooftop that he had just left. She was beautiful, he noted, again dismissing the thought as soon as it appeared. But not before he murmured "pretty bird." He remembered that they'd called her Black Canary. It suited her, somehow.

He tossed a smoke bomb in her direction and then tore his eyes away, turning to make his getaway. She wouldn't catch him tonight. He'd live to try to carry out his mission another day.


	2. Memories Make the Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Dark Archer's memory has a lot of gaps. But the memories are still buried in there somewhere.

The anniversary of his mom's death was always hard on Tommy. And while Oliver forgot the exact date after a few years, Tommy didn't have that luxury. Every year, the days preceding his mom's death anniversary were filled with dread and the waning desire to talk or joke or do anything at all.

After Laurel came into both their lives, she noticed. After a few years of asking him what was wrong and having him avoid her, she showed up at his door with bags filled with videos, popcorn, and candy. She held up both to show him.

"So do you want to talk, or do you want to watch Die Hard for the hundredth time?"

His shoulders relaxed just a little and he couldn't help but grin as he moved aside to let her in.

The smile faded once they'd popped in the movie and settled into the couch in his den. His dad wasn't home-he was never home, but the maid was around here somewhere. She'd probably pop in to make sure they were behaving and offer to make them snacks. He looked over at Laurel and the words just tumbled out.

"My mom died a few years ago today."

"Oh," Laurel looked at him, her expression grave. And then she grabbed him and pulled him into a tight hug. Tommy closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of her hair, taking comfort in being hugged in a way that no one had in years.

As the movie started, Laurel rested her head on his shoulder. And that was the moment when he first realized that he had a crush on Laurel Lance.

It was also the moment when he realized that Laurel wasn't the type of girl that he could just charm, make out with and stop calling. She was the type of girl that he wanted to keep in his life.

\----

The Dark Archer lurked on a rooftop near the courthouse. It was the end of a business day and a trial was just about to let out for the day. He gripped his bow and kept watch over the street below for any glimpse of his target. This should be a routine kill. Easier than some of the assassinations that his boss had sent him out on. And yet, he chafed a bit at being in Star City. He couldn't put his finger on why, but the streets here felt too familiar. He knew there was some connection to his previous life, but the details were fuzzy and trying to remember hurt. He'd long since determined that he was better off in his life now. It was simple-he had no attachments and no pain, and he was driven by his loyalty to the man that had helped nurse him back to health. He was a part of something much bigger than himself and he believed that Darhk truly could pull off the new world order of his. And then... 

And then, the Archer would continue to do what was requested of him. Simple. Easy. 

Movement in front of the building caught his gaze. He looked through his scope and spotted his target. He drew back the bow and watched as the arrow flew straight and true and buried itself into the heart of the defense attorney. He heard the shouts and saw a blonde woman push her way through the crowd to kneel beside the sprawled body of his target. He froze for just a moment as the profile of her face came into his view. 

"Laurel," he whispered, though he couldn't say where that name had come from or how he knew it. He stared for a moment longer before tearing his gaze away so he could make his escape.


	3. The Warning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laurel is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery behind the newest archer in town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case anyone is wondering, this is pretty AU after the first few episodes of season 4. So picture this as my take on Season 4.

Laurel felt powerless as she'd watched Simmons-the defense attorney-bleed out while she waited for the damn ambulance to get there. She might not have liked the man, but he wasn't as corrupt as some people in this city. And though he could have played dirty in this particular case, he'd taken the high road for a change. Because of that, someone that she suspected was in Darhk's pocket was going to jail for a very long time.

That seemed like a hollow victory right now as she had to wonder if her win had cost the defense attorney his life somehow. She was just glad that it was towards the end of her work day because she'd made her excuses, gathered up some paperwork for later and headed straight to the secret lair hidden underneath Oliver's campaign office. She was grateful when she stepped out of the elevator and heard the familiar clacking of fingers on a keyboard. Felicity looked up, sympathy in her expression.

"I saw the news. Already looking for any sign of our archer."

Laurel moved over to stand at Felicity's side, glancing at the screen.

"You think it's the same guy from the other night?" Felicity asked. "Bows and arrows aren't exactly a standard for weaponry these days. It's like every guy in Star City grew up wanting to be Robin Hood," she said with an eyeroll.

"Hey, at least only one of the resident archers wears green. Which makes you Maid Marian I suppose." Laurel joked back, but the smile didn't quite meet her eyes. "The guy from the other night saved me though."

Felicity frowned at Laurel.

"He saved you by killing one of Darhk's ghosts. Maybe saving you wasn't his intention. You said that he poofed when you went after him, right?"

"Up in smoke. Literally," she thought over what Felicity had to say and sighed. "I suppose you're right. I guess I just thought it might be nice to have another ally around these parts."

"That makes two of us. Some days, it feels like the criminals of this city are hydras. You know, cut one down and two more grow back in their place."

Laurel smiled fondly. "Yeah, I've got it."

Both women turned as the elevator dinged to announce a new arrival. And the smiles vanished from both their faces as Malcolm stepped out of the elevator.

"I take it you're aware of the new Dark Archer running around town." He strode towards them and stopped just short of Felicity's work station. His eyes met Laurel's. "I'm here to tell you to back off. I'll take care of this one."

Laurel squared her shoulders and glared at Malcolm.

"You don't get to tell me what to look into or not. He killed someone in front of my courthouse. This is personal."

Malcolm's expression was mostly stoic, save for the flaring of his nostrils. "Petulant as ever, Ms. Lance. But yet again, I'm going to ask you to leave this one alone. You don't want to turn over this particular stone."

Before she could reply, Felicity spoke up. "Remind me to talk to Oliver about increasing security to cut down on unwanted guests."

"This visit was a courtesy, Laurel," Malcolm continued, ignoring Felicity. "Next time I see you near this Dark Archer, I won't be asking you to stay away."

He turned and headed back to the elevator. Laurel glanced at Felicity as Malcolm disappeared behind the sliding doors. Felicity simply shook her head in confusion.

"Did that scare you off?" Laurel asked.

Felicity smiled proudly. "Not even a little bit."

"Me neither. Let's see what else we can find."

She didn't know yet what Malcolm's connection was to this new 'Dark Archer,' but she wasn't going to roll over on this one just because Malcolm Merlyn told her to. She was going to find Simmons' killer and bring him to justice.


	4. Sins of the father

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy continues to be under Damien Darhk's control, but bloodlust is a tricky thing.

The Dark Archer was in the midst of his training when he felt an all too familiar tug. There was one person that his boss wouldn't let him kill, no matter how much he longed for it. The man responsible for his death. The man who claimed to be his father. There were vague impressions of this man in his mind, but mostly there was the desire for blood to be spilled, the need to wipe out this evil from the face of the earth.

He moved towards the feeling, pulling out a large knife from his belt. As he grew closer to Darhk's meeting room, voices drifted his way.

"We agreed that my son was not to return to Star City." The archer bared his teeth a little at that voice.

"We also agreed that you would move out of the way and allow me to take over this city. And yet, Oliver Queen remains a thorn in my side and that Green Arrow and his little band of merry men continue to cause trouble."

"I haven't-" Malcolm's voice began, but Darhk cut him off.

"Save it, Merlyn. I've sensed your hand at work with that little band of wannabe heroes. Let's not insult either of our intelligence. You no longer belong in Star City. Isn't there a fortress in Nanda Parbat that needs your attention?"

Merlyn. That name broke a dam within the Archer. He flew into the room, drawing a knife from his belt as he did so. Malcolm Merlyn needed to die. He knew that with every fiber of his being. His blood called for Malcolm's blood.

"Stop," Darhk waved a hand and the Archer crumpled to the ground. The voices around him dulled to a muffled din as unconsciousness claimed him.

\----

"Tommy, wake up." He couldn't quite put his finger on the male voice that nagged at his brain as the fog from forceful sleep started to clear and dreams faded. He couldn't quite remember the dream, nor did he know who Tommy was or who the voice belonged to. But something about it struck a chord. Friend. Brother.

"Archer, it's time to wake up," that voice was definitely not a leftover from his dreams. He opened his eyes and looked into the cold blue eyes of Damien Darhk.

The Archer-the only name that he answered to these days-stared at his boss, trying to quell the hatred that rose up at Darhk's interference in his attempted murder of the man who was responsible for all of this. And possibly more, though he couldn't remember all the reasons that he hated Malcolm Merlyn. 

"I know that you're... disappointed, but now is not the time for Malcolm Merlyn's death. We must bide our time until the right moment and then he is all yours." 

The Archer grunted his frustration. This wasn't the first time that they'd had this conversation, but that didn't make it any easier to accept. 

"Now," Damien continued. "I hear that Star City has one less lawyer thanks to you. Now perhaps you can continue this winning streak and actually kill Green Arrow tonight. Do you feel ready for that?" 

Green Arrow. Arrow. Something in that last word stirred something in his mind, some hesitation. And yet, he owed a great deal to Damien Darhk. And the attempt on the Green Arrow's life was the first time that he'd failed to complete a task requested of him. He needed to rectify this. He nodded curtly. 

"Yes, I'm ready." 

Darhk's eyes flashed with approval. "Good. I've arranged something that should draw our hooded vigilante out. Come along, and we'll discuss the plan."


	5. Always Trying to Save You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things heat up as the Dark Archer continues to try to carry through his orders to kill Green Arrow.

Skiing wasn't something that she excelled at, but she could definitely deal with warming up in the lodge by drinking spiked hot cocoa and whatever other alcoholic drinks they could get their hands on. Oliver had fallen asleep after a long day of skiing and drinking, but Laurel wasn't quite ready to turn her mind off yet. So she wandered outside and found Tommy sitting in the snow. He grinned up at her.

"What are you doing out at this time of night, Ms. Lance?"

She laughed and plopped down beside Tommy.

"Probably the same thing you are, Merlyn. Couldn't sleep."

"Yes, but a lady such as yourself should always have an escort," Tommy teased. After a moment, his smile slipped and he shrugged. "Couldn't sleep either."

"I figured," Laurel said. She hadn't forgotten the meaning of this day. In fact, she'd hoped that planning a trip around the anniversary of his mom's death would help keep his mind off it for once.

She leaned against him and slid her arm into his.

"Isn't your butt cold?" she asked, completely breaking through the seriousness of the moment."

Tommy looked at her and ran a hand through his hair, messing it up a bit. "Pretty sure I lost all feeling down there awhile ago. But you should see the snow angels I've made out here."

"Those snow angels?" Laurel asked, nodding to the imprints in the snow where Tommy had obviously just slumped over for a bit. She scooted a little closer and slid his arm around her shoulders. "Okay, Merlyn. We're going inside and warming up."

"You know, if you were any other girl, I'd turn that into a pickup line," he said, his speech slurred just a bit.

"Yeah, I know," Laurel said, as she helped Tommy get to his feet

"You ever get tired of saving my ass?" he asked.

"Never," she answered, with a fond smile.

"And that's why I like you. Dinah Laurel Lance, saving the world one drunk idiot at a time."

\-----

Memories of Tommy tended to hit her out of the blue. She'd be going along with some part of her life-training, or in the middle of court, or simply laying down to sleep and then a memory would come back to her. Sometimes it knocked the wind out of her and hurt like hell when she got those sharp reminders that Tommy was gone. Other times, there was the shame and guilt over sleeping with Oliver so soon after Tommy had walked out on her. And on good days, she could smile at the happy memories and the fact that if she focused, she could still remember what he smelled like and what his laugh sounded like.

Tonight fell into the latter category. She couldn't say why that particular memory came up when she was in the middle of taking down a trio of men who were attempting to attack a woman, but there it was. She tried not to wonder what Tommy would say if he could see what she was doing with her life now.

At her side, Oliver managed to knock out one of the men while she took down a second. And together, they made quick work of the third. It was when Oliver had knelt down to ziptie the would-be assailants that she spotted the figure on the roof.

"Get down," she warned, pushing Oliver out of the way as an arrow flew her way.

Oliver ducked as she tugged him out of the way, and they both looked towards the source of the arrow before taking cover behind a car. Oliver stood up just long enough to let an arrow loose and Laurel thought she saw it knock the bow out of the archer's hand.

"Let's go, Canary," he said, firing off a grappling hook. She wrapped her arms around him just as the line went taut and began to pull them upwards. After having him back in town for a couple of months, they'd learned to function as team mates and had this rhythm down pat.

They landed on the roof just in time for the man in black to launch a punch at Oliver. The two exchanged jabs for a moment, before he took a step back and glanced at Laurel.

"This doesn't concern you, pretty bird. Get out while you still can."

The voice was low and growly, but there was still something familiar in there. And those eyes. The blue eyes met hers for just a moment and she had to catch her breath. Maybe she was seeing and hearing things. She didn't bother to look at Oliver just now. They could discuss it later. Instead, she took a protective step in front of Oliver and fired off a sonic scream. It knocked the dark archer backwards and into the roof access door behind him.

He recovered quickly and sent a smoke bomb their way. Both Laurel and Oliver fumbled through the smoke in an attempt to get to him.

"Arrow! Canary!" Felicity's voice chirped over their comms. "What's going on?"

"Unexpected guest," Oliver responded, choking back a cough. "He just set off a smoke bomb. See if you can track him using street cams."

"I don't see him," Felicity responded back. "And the rest of the team is across town dealing with a home invasion. I'll widen the radius of my search. Are you two okay? Can you get back to the lair?"

"We're fine," Laurel reassured Felicity as the smoke started to clear. And to her disappointment, there was no sign of the assailant.

"We need to regroup," Oliver's voice was a little shaken.

By the time they'd made it back to the lair, Laurel had talked herself out of any similarities in the voice and eyes that she'd noticed. It couldn't be Tommy. She was just... missing him more than usual these days.

After a lengthy discussion about what they knew about this Dark Archer, the team agreed to make him a priority. He was good, but they would just have to be better.

After getting home, she fell into a fitful sleep. She woke up to those blue eyes hovering over her yet again, watching her intently.

"Tommy?" she murmured. In response, she smelled the sickly sweet scent of chloroform as a rag closed over her mouth. And then everything went black.


	6. Come Back to Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Laurel is held as Darhk's prisoner, she tries to get through to Tommy.

After the Assistant DA was locked up as per Darhk's orders, the Dark Archer started to make his way back to his quarters. He was stopped by Darhk himself. The mage looked at him with the pale disappointment that concealed a quiet rage.

"Why is Green Arrow still alive?"

The Archer hesitated, struggling to come up with an answer that would please his boss. Darhk waved a hand and the Archer slammed into the wall.

"Perhaps you're not the man for this job after all," Darhk said, as he started to walk by the fallen archer. "Get some sleep. You're flying out to Berlin tomorrow morning."

The Archer stayed where he was until Darhk had disappeared around the corner. Then he picked himself up and rubbed his head, ignoring the sting of where his flesh had made contact with the wall. He suppressed a growl in the direction that Darhk had disappeared and then moved towards his quarters. He paused only as he heard a yelp of pain coming from the room where the new hostage was kept. He hesitated and his eyes were drawn to the door. He couldn't say why that sound hit him harder than any other sound of pain from any of the other prisoners Darhk had tortured. His fists clenched as if on their own accord and his lips pulled back into a snarl. And then he caught himself and took a deep breath. It wasn't his place to intervene.

With one last look at the door, he forced himself to head back to his quarters.

Hours later, he returned to that hallway. He couldn't say why he did so, or what possessed him to intercept the guard that was bringing a meal to the prisoner. But he did, and reassured the guard that Darhk had personally ordered him to take care of this one's meal.

He let himself into the assistant DA's room and stopped for a minute at the sight of her bent over, her face bloodied. She looked up and met his eyes and for just a moment, he couldn't shake the sense that he should know her.

"Tommy?" she rasped out. Her hands were cuffed to the wall, but one still tried to reach to him. "How are you alive?"

He looked down at the name, and focused on setting the tray within her reach.

"Thomas Merlyn is dead," he told her in a stilted voice.

He couldn't say why it hurt to see her battered and bruised like this, nor could he explain why he took the rag in the corner and poured just a little bit of the water over it. He knelt beside her and started to dab at the wounds on her face.

"That's what I thought," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "But you're here. And... why are you working with Damien Darhk? You kidnapped me."

"Damien Darhk helped my father bring me back to life. I'm not... I don't remember who I was before this, but he gave me a second chance in exchange for my loyalty."

He noticed tears silently sliding down her cheeks, mingling with the blood as she looked at him. His gaze shifted to focus on a particularly nasty cut on her forehead, trying to avoid making eye contact.

She reached out and put a hand on his cheek. Something about that touch sent a shiver down his spine. Without thinking, he leaned into it briefly.

"Your father? Malcolm Merlyn?" she asked.

He cringed and bared his teeth at the name. His soul called out for Malcolm's blood. Even hearing his name reminded him of how much he wanted to see the man's life put to an end.

"Yes," he said with gritted teeth. He put the rag down.

"You didn't kill the Green Arrow last night. And you saved me from one of Darhk's ghosts a few weeks ago. You may not believe this, but I think that Tommy is still in there somewhere."

His jaw tightened. He set the rag down and stood without a word. He resisted the urge to look back at her, though he did hear a faint "Please come back to me." as he exited the room.


	7. Scream For Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few unexpected things happen while Laurel's being held captive.

Her sister and her boyfriend were dead. They'd died in the middle of running off to screw each other. Her sister and her boyfriend were dead. Ever since she'd heard the news, Laurel couldn't stop the endless cycle of thoughts. She wanted to lash out at someone, wanted to scream, wanted to cry, wanted to curl into a ball and wait for the whole world to stop spinning. She also had moments where she forgot how to breathe, as if the weight of continuing to live was too much effort.

It wasn't until after the blur of funerals and people offering their condolences and the endless stream of reporters trying to get a quote for their stories, or a picture of her family grieving that her thoughts turned to Tommy. He had to be hurting too. And he was supposed to be her friend, but he was Oliver's friend first. She knew that too. Had he known about Sara and Oliver?

Once that thought entered her mind, she somehow found herself at Tommy's door. She'd driven over there on autopilot, which was how she'd done a lot of things lately. It was the only way she was even remotely functioning.

Tommy answered the door. His eyes were red rimmed and he looked nearly as miserable as she felt. For just a moment, she considered not asking the question she'd came here to ask. It would be so easy to go inside and actually commiserate together on their loss. And yet... she wasn't sure that she was ready to let anyone in on her screwed up grieving process. That nerve was too raw.

"Did you know?" she didn't bother with a hello, or any other type of greeting.

He blinked at her in confusion. "What?"

"About Oliver and Sara. Did you know?"

The guilty look on Tommy's face answered her question long before he managed to put any words together to do so.

"That's what I thought," she said, torn between wanting to smack him and wanting to break down in tears right then and there. "Goodbye, Tommy."

"Laurel, wait. Please. I tried to talk him out of it."

"But you could have told me. You were supposed to be my friend too," Laurel said, the tears coming forth even when she didn't want to break down in front of Tommy. "Just stay away from me."

She turned and ran back to her car, but not before she thought she heard him mumble that he couldn't lose her too.

It would be two years before they'd see each other again. It was easier that way. Or so she told herself. And it was easier to just get into a fight with Tommy after he brought a few of his obnoxious friends into a bar near her school. A bar that was supposed to be a relaxed place to hang out and have a few beers. Not a place to watch girls dance on the bar and do body shots off each other.

Tommy yelling at her was the first time she'd felt anything outside the endless cycle of pain and anger and numbness since the boat went down. So when he showed up later with a bottle of wine and a sheepish apology, and when he dropped the playboy act and let her see that he was hurting too, she couldn't help herself. Before she knew it, she'd kissed him and then things had just escalated from there.

It was a lapse. Maybe she was trying to get back at Oliver by sleeping with his best friend. Maybe she just needed physical comfort from someone who'd lost Oliver too.

It was a lapse that started to happen a little more frequently. Every time there was something important going on in her life, like graduation, or the anniversary of the day the Gambit had gone down, or anytime she just needed someone, she found herself running to him. And then one morning, he didn't just slink out like usual. She woke up to the smell of pancakes and bacon. She'd blinked a few times and pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. And then she followed the smell and found Tommy puttering around her kitchen in his boxers. She lingered in the doorway and just watched for a moment, savoring the look of the muscles in his back and the way he looked like he just belonged there.

This was casual, she reminded herself. It had to be casual, because Tommy was even more of a playboy than Oliver had ever been. He'd only break her heart if she let this be anything more.

As if he'd noticed her presence, he turned and flashed her that megawatt grin.

"Morning. I figure we both worked up an appetite last night."

"What are you doing, Merlyn?" she asked, eyeing the pans behind him.

"Just trying to feed you." He moved closer to her and put an arm around her for a quick hug, placing a kiss on the top of her head. She closed her eyes and leaned into him for a moment. "It's just breakfast," he promised.

"And here I thought 'it's just drinks' was your line," Laurel teased.

"Mimosas are in the fridge," Tommy said with a chuckle. "That work for you?"

Laurel looked up at Tommy and then glanced at the breakfast on the stovetop and considered for a moment.

"Yeah, that works for me."

\----

Somewhere after the encounter with Tommy, she'd fallen into a fitful sleep. The hard wood floor of the room she was locked into wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep, but she'd run through everything at her disposal and hadn't found anything to pick the lock on the cuffs holding her to the floor. So she decided to try to get some of her strength back so she could face whatever Damien Darhk had to throw at her tomorrow.

Her first thoughts upon waking up were to question whether she'd somehow hallucinated Tommy. He couldn't be alive, could he? Then again, she knew damn well that there were ways for people to come back from the dead. She'd had a front row seat for her own sister's resurrection. It was possible, and if he was back, she would find a way to get through to him. After she found a way to get out of here.

Her second thought turned to the situation she was in. Hatred for Damien Darhk flooded her. And when the man himself strolled into her room, she looked up at him with a stubborn expression of disinterest.

"Have you had the chance to reconsider telling me what you know about the Green Arrow?"

"Have you had the chance to reconsider my offer to go to Hell?" she spat back.

Damien raised a hand and Laurel felt her head snap back at the unseen force of what she could only imagine was magic slammed into her.

Her body seized up for a moment, all the wounds inflicted the night before aching. Her mouth opened involuntarily and before she knew it, a scream left her lips. It had more force than the canary cry choker that Cisco had designed for her. The choker that was safely ensconced in the safe in her closet along with the rest of her Black Canary gear. A look of surprise flitted across Darhk's face before he was shoved through the wall and knocked unconscious. Laurel closed her mouth and stared at the body that was now on the other side of the crumbling wall, eyes closed. She shook a little from the effort that the cry had taken, and the shock of something like that coming from her own vocal chords.

She couldn't say how long she sat like that before Tommy came down the hallway and let himself in the door. He glanced at the hole in the wall and the unconscious mage and then knelt beside her and took her hands. A moment later, a clink punctuated the handcuffs opening. He pocketed the key again and helped her out.

"I've made sure that this area is cleared out. You need to get out of here before anyone decides to investigate that racket you just made."

She gaped at him for a moment. He looked back at her, his eyes so familiar and yet holding a haunted look that she'd never seen before. He slid his arm around her and supported her on the way out. She leaned into him, wanting to hang onto the hope that she'd managed to stir up some memories.

It wasn't until they got to the door that he stopped and handed her the keys to a car and a phone.

"These will start that Jeep over there. Get somewhere safe and ditch the car. If you can get out of town, I'd suggest it. Things are only going to get worse for Star City."

She stared at Tommy, fighting back tears. "I can't leave you. Not again. Come with me."

He shook his head.

"I have to stay here. And if they find me helping you, they'll kill us both. Just go. Please."

Laurel couldn't help but hear Tommy telling her to go, and that he'd be 'right behind her.' She couldn't help but remember CNRI collapsing all around him after he'd gotten her out alive.

"Tommy, please."

He shook his head again. "Get out of here."

"I can't leave you," she repeated. "Never again."

"Go now. If I go with you, they'll find me and kill me. Now get out of here," he growled.

Laurel stared at him, recognizing that stubborn set to his jaw that indicated that Tommy wasn't going to cede any ground here.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, trying to keep the hopeful note out of her voice.

He shifted his gaze to the ground. "I don't know. Now go." He turned and walked back into the building.

She stood there and watched him for a long moment, not wanting to let him out of her sight. Not prepared to lose him again.

"Come see me if you can sneak away," she called after him. He didn't give any indication that he'd heard, but she knew that she had to go. If she didn't leave, she might cause more trouble for him. She just... had to trust that she'd see him again. Had to hope.

She was barely able to stay conscious for the drive to a nearby gas station. And if she let herself think about the scream that she'd let out, or about Tommy, she might have lost it. Instead, she just ignored the tears that were streaming down her face and the way her body shook. She ditched the jeep on the side of the road and left the keys in it before walking a mile to the nearest gas station. once there, she sent Thea a SOS text and slumped against the wall outside.

She wasn't sure if she passed out or not, but the next thing she remembered was Thea pulling up to the gas station and rushing over to her.

"Laurel! Thank god. What happened?"

Laurel leaned against the young woman who was her roommate and her sister in all but blood, and it was only then that she really lost it and started sobbing. She would have to calm down and explain later-as much as she could explain, but for now she just clung to Thea and cried.

"Come on. Let's get you home," Thea said softly as she ushered Laurel over to the passenger side of her car. "I'll tell Felicity to call off the search."

Laurel nodded mutely, the tears still flowing and her mind still struggling to make sense of everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. Having Thea there was a steadying influence though. She knew that she would eventually pull it together and when she did, the team would deal with this together. They'd figure out why she'd managed to knock Damien Darhk out with a scream and they'd find Tommy and help him. They had to. For now, though, she let herself pass out and trusted that Thea would make sure she got back home safely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, some might question the arrival of the Canary Cry. My headcanon for this particular AU is that Laurel has a latent metagene that's come out as a result of being tortured with magic. There has been one referenced metahuman that wasn't in Central City during the explosion, but it's also just as likely that Laurel was visiting her mom at the time if you'd rather headcanon that.


	8. The Truth Will Set You Free

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laurel tries to tell the team about Tommy. They have a hard time believing it.

Laurel couldn't say how long she'd been unconscious, but she started to wake up to the sensation of a warm cloth dabbing at her wounds, and her body aching just about everywhere. Her vocal chords felt a little hoarse as well, but she wasn't prepared to think about that scream that she'd managed just now.

"Tommy?' she murmured, as he was the last person to clean up her wounds.

"You think she's seeing things?" Thea's voice pulled her back to reality a little more.

Laurel opened her eyes and tried not to wince at the glaring lights of the lair above her. She saw Thea's face first, blue eyes warm with worry. Laurel wanted to tell Thea that worrying was her job as Thea's unofficial big sister slash roommate, but she couldn't quite get her mouth to work around a sentence that long. Instead, she grunted "I'm fine," and tried to sit up.

"Whoa, Laurel," John Diggle's baritone chimed in and she felt John's hand on her arm, trying to keep her on the table. "We are seriously going to have to work on your definition of the word fine."

"Says the man who once tried to walk off a bullet wound," Laurel replied. The months while Oliver and Felicity were gone had given her plenty of ammunition for situations like this. The only trouble was that it worked both ways.

All the same, she put her head back down because it was easier than fighting, particularly when she was starting to feel dizzy.

"Laurel, what happened?" Thea asked.

Laurel closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead, trying to get it all straight in her mind.

"Darhk sent someone to take me. He thinks I know who the Green Arrow is, and he wants me in his pocket." She opened her eyes, but avoided looking at Oliver, who hadn't said anything up until this point. Instead, she looked up at Thea and then John, drawing strength from the two who'd been her partners in arms for months now. "Tommy's alive. He said that Malcolm and Darhk brought him back and that he doesn't remember anything, but..." she shrugged helplessly. There was some hope there. "He helped me escape. I don't know why he would do that if he the memories weren't there somewhere."

Thea shot Oliver an alarmed look and it was only then that Laurel brought herself to look at Oliver, who wore an expression of disbelief coupled with concern.

"Are you sure that Darhk didn't do something to make you hallucinate?"

Laurel frowned, feeling helpless in the face of Oliver's disbelief. She knew that it sounded crazy-especially since she hadn't even gotten to the part about the scream that she'd knocked him out with, but she was also sure that all of this had actually happened.

"I'm sure," she said. It was clear from Oliver's expression that he wasn't convinced, but he set his jaw and looked at the others in the room. "We'll look into it. For now, you should get some rest."

Thea smoothed back some of Laurel's hair and gave her a shaky attempt at a smile. "We'll figure this out," she promised.

After that, Laurel slipped in and out of sleep while she recovered. She remembered something about Thea calling in sick on her behalf. And eventually, Thea helped her to the car and drove her home to rest in her own bed. The few times that she woke over the next day, she had a surge of frustration over being out of commission and unable to track down Tommy or Damien Darhk and yet she always ended up slipping back into sleep.

She didn't even try to bring up Tommy to Thea as her roommate stopped in to check on her every few hours. She'd already decided to get more proof before she tried to convince the team that she hadn't been seeing things.

So when she was finally done with feeling woozy and fatigued, she waited until Thea was asleep and dressed as quietly as possible. She sent a text to Malcolm Merlyn asking for a meeting. It made her a little sick at the thought of talking to the man who was responsible for both her sister's and Tommy's deaths, but this was a necessary evil.

Malcolm had chosen the docks for their meeting. It was just shady enough that Laurel supposed no one would pay them any mind. Considering that Malcolm was supposed to be dead, it was in his best interests to stay off the radar of the public. She'd made sure to stuff her tonfa into a bag, but she had her doubts that she would be a match for Malcolm. Even with the training from Nyssa and Ted, he still had years of experience on her. Then again, if she could somehow call forth that sonic scream again, she might just be able to level the playing field.

Though she was still going to hope that this confrontation didn't end in violence. As much as she wanted to see Malcolm pay for everything he'd done to the people she loved, she wasn't prepared to kill him-or anyone else-in cold blood. Not now that she'd had time to get more control of her emotions.

She moved through the shadows of the warehouses that dotted the dock area, her senses trained for any sign of Malcolm. She didn't flinch when he all but melted out of a shadow in front of her.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this late night rendezvous?" Malcolm asked.

Laurel grimaced at his choice of words, but simply straightened up and met him with a glare.

"I'm here about Tommy." She didn't bother to mask the anger in her voice, though she managed to keep her tone even and hard.

She would give him one iota of credit-Malcolm had a good poker face. He didn't blink as she mentioned Tommy. Instead, he frowned at her.

"You called me out here in the middle of the night just to bring up my dearly departed son?"

"Dearly departed?" Laurel scoffed. "That's one choice of words you could go with." She stopped herself from pointing out that Tommy's death had been Malcolm's fault. That wasn't the point of this particular conversation. "I know that you found a way to bring him back. Your friend Damien Darhk kidnapped me and Tommy was there."

It was then that Malcolm's stoic expression faltered for just a minute.

"Did you tell anyone else about this? Does Thea know?"

Laurel hesitated, weighing her answer.

"Thea knows. She's not ready to believe it without proof, but I told her."

"Good," Malcolm said, pulling a sword from a scabbard hanging off his belt.

Laurel's muscles tensed as she reached into the bag for her tonfa and prepared to defend herself. The moment when she needed to block the sword didn't come. An arrow whizzed past her and embedded itself in Malcolm's chest, followed by two more.

"Malcolm!" Thea's voice rang out as Malcolm's sword clattered to the ground and he dropped to his knees.

Laurel blinked in surprise as Thea rushed past her and caught Malcolm before helping him to the ground. They both looked in the direction the arrows had come from. A figure dressed in black-one that she knew had to be Tommy-stood and seemed to stare at them for a moment before turning to make his exit.

She knelt beside Thea and Malcolm, wanting to whisper an apology that died on her lips. No matter how she felt about Merlyn, Thea didn't deserve to watch her father die right before her.

"What the hell were you doing to Laurel?" Thea snarled.

Laurel put a hand on Thea's shoulder and shook her head. Malcolm had eyes only for Thea.

"Tommy-" he choked out. "Take care of your brother. I did what I thought was best for you... for you both."

Tears were streaming down Thea's face at this point.

"We didn't ask you. I didn't ask you," she said.

Malcolm didn't answer, and instead his eyes went glassy. Thea bent over him for a moment longer, before she looked up at Laurel.

"Was that really Tommy?" she asked, her voice shaking a bit.

Laurel had looked away from Malcolm, unable to think of anything but Sara dying in her arms in a very similar manner. It was his fault, and maybe this was a strange sort of comeuppance for that, but she felt no victory in this death. Particularly when it came at the cost of Tommy killing his father and Thea watching Malcolm bleed out before her.

She tried not to look at Merlyn's body and met Thea's eyes with a grave nod.

"I'm pretty sure it is. Thea, I'm sorry."

Thea shook her head quickly. "This isn't your fault. Malcolm did this to Tommy. Maybe..." her expression turned a little wistful for a moment. "Maybe his bloodlust will be gone, now that Malcolm's dead."

She sniffled a little, but her expression was harder than Laurel might have expected. She swiped angrily at her cheeks.

"I don't even know why I'm crying. I hated him most of the time for what he made me do to..." she trailed off, clearly not ready to say Sara's name to Laurel. Even if Laurel had done her best to make it abundantly clear that she didn't blame Thea.

Laurel pulled Thea into a tight hug, just letting the younger woman cry for a few minutes.

"We need to call Ollie," Thea finally said, pulling away again. "The team needs to deal with this."

"Yeah," Laurel agreed. There was a lot to be dealt with just now, and she trusted that their team would rise to the occasion.


	9. Old Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy deals with the aftermath of his father's death and drops in on an old friend.

The archer watched as his target fell to the ground. He watched as Laurel and... Speedy? He thought that was the right name-watched as both of them knelt beside Malcolm. There was a sense of relief as he felt the life leaving his father. His father, his murderer, his resurrection. Malcolm had been all of these things at some point in time.

He turned and fled from the rooftop before the women could chase him down. He managed to get halfway across the city before the pain struck him. The burden of bloodlust receded but as it did so, it made way for a barrage of memories. Some painful, others happy. He remembered waiting for his mother to come read him a story on the night that she never came home. He remembered his dad just disappearing after her death. But Oliver-Oliver had been there. His best friend. And Laurel. Laurel resting her head on his shoulder during one of many movie nights. Waking up to Laurel in the morning. Clubbing with Oliver. Eating pizza and just laughing at stupid stuff with Oliver and Laurel.

Going to get Laurel back at Oliver's urging and seeing the two of them through her window. That memory hit him like a ton of bricks. And then he remembered Laurel trapped in that building. He remembered saving her, telling her he loved her.

He didn't know when he'd curled up on the ground, or how long it was as the memories washed over him, battering the edges of his mind as it tried to expand to fit them all again.

\----

Tommy knew about Oliver heading off onto the Queen's Gambit with Sara. He'd tried to talk his friend out of it, but he didn't tell Laurel. Bro code and all that. It felt wrong, but he'd done worse. Hadn't he?

He wasn't expecting to hear from Oliver for a few days when his cellphone rang and the Caller ID popped up with the Queen's home line. Tommy frowned but answered it. He really wasn't expecting to hear Thea's voice.

"Tommy?" her voice shook, and he couldn't help but wonder what was going on with Oliver's little sister-with the girl that he and Laurel had unofficially adopted as their little sister too.

"Thea, what's wrong?" he asked. He heard a sob on the end of the line and it was a moment before she got it under control.

"Dad... Oliver... Sara... Mom's locked herself in the bathroom. The boat..." Thea trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

Tommy's stomach twisted with worry, even though Thea hadn't really conveyed what was going on. It didn't matter so much as the fact that something was very, very wrong.

"I'll be right over," he promised her. "Just... get yourself some milk and cookies and I'll be there asap."

He reluctantly hung up the phone and pulled on a pair of shoes before going in search of his keys. He passed his dad on the way out and Malcolm stopped him.

"Where are you going, son?"

"Thea called and something's really wrong."

There was a look on his dad's face that he couldn't quite place. Then again, Tommy had never had an easy time reading his father's emotions. He brushed off the confusion and turned to head towards his car.

"I'll be back later," he said gruffly.

When he got to the Queen's house, Thea met him at the door and all but collapsed into his arms. Her composure had clearly deteriorated since the phone call. He held onto her tightly and let her cry it out for a few minutes, his concern growing by the minute. Finally, he loosened his grip and tried to look down at her.

"Thea, what's going on?"

"Dead," she managed to choke out. "They're all dead. The boat went down."

Dead. His mind turned over the word that sounded so odd coming out of Thea's preteen mouth. Dead. He tried to make sense of it, tried to find some way to rationalize it.

He failed.

Dead. Oliver, Sara, and Robert were dead. They couldn't be dead. He'd just seen them. How could they be dead? They were at sea and they'd be coming back. Tommy and Oliver had plane tickets booked for Vegas next month. They couldn't be dead.

And yet, Thea crying into his arms said otherwise. Thea, who was nearly always smiling and friendly. Thea, who was so... broken now.

He wasn't ready to let the tears go himself, so he simply held onto Thea for dear life. Whether he was hanging on for her benefit or hers didn't matter just now.

And though the thought crossed his mind, he didn't ask Thea if Laurel and her family knew yet. It wasn't her burden to bear.

The next couple of weeks were a blur of funerals-or memorial services, really. There were no bodies to bury, but they still held services. Tommy wasn't sure if that made it harder or easier. He spotted Laurel at the edges of Oliver's funeral, and watched her rush away as if it was too painful to do so. He attended Sara's service, but got the stink eye from Mr. and Mrs. Lance and Laurel seemed to avoid his gaze.

After that, there was that one fateful visit to his house where she asked if he'd known about Sara. He picked up the phone to call her a few times before chickening out and hanging up in the couple of years after that. He'd lost both of his best friends in one fell swoop and there was nothing left but hurt and regret that were best drowned out in all manner of vices that he could seek out.

That all changed that night that he saw her in the bar. The night that they both said things they probably shouldn't. When he went to apologize, he couldn't say how it happened but suddenly her lips were on his and her legs were wrapped around his waist and the pain went away for awhile as he felt like he was right where he was supposed to be.

His best friend had never been dead. That memory came back to him and it was bittersweet. There was the happiness that he'd felt upon receiving the call from Thea that Oliver was coming home, mixed with the realization that the target Darhk had sent him after was Oliver. He'd almost killed him. More than once, he'd been little more than a breath away from taking that kill shot. Something had stopped him most of the time, and maybe now he knew why. But that didn't change the fact that he'd tried. And Laurel... he may have helped her escape, but not soon enough.

Not to mention his father. It was starting to sink in that he'd taken his own father's life. For all that Malcolm had done wrong, he'd still been blood. And with the bloodlust clearing, Tommy's hate receded and there was little more than pain and regret.

\----

He didn't know or care how long he'd stayed in the fetal position. Eventually, he had to pick himself up and keep moving. Darhk would likely send someone to try to retrieve him. Worse than that, Darhk would probably send people after Oliver, Laurel, and everyone else on their team.

He went to Oliver's place first. And while maybe he should have used the door, that didn't seem right anymore. He simply scaled the building and alit on the balcony. He watched Oliver putter around the apartment with the blonde who was apparently the woman in Oliver's life now. It was all very domestic-and hell, Oliver was even cooking. There was a sight. He'd almost talked himself out of trying to go in and talk to Oliver when he was pretty sure that his old friend looked up and spotted him. He'd kept to the shadows, but Oliver had years of being on edge, years of training to be aware of his surroundings. Of course he'd noticed the unexpected 'guest' on his balcony.

"Felicity, I'll meet you in bed in just a few minutes."

Oliver waved off his girlfriend, and then Tommy braced himself for whatever reaction might be coming, especially for any attacks that Oliver might make. After all, he was basically an intruder in Oliver's new home-in his new life. And they weren't exactly on the same side anymore.

What he wasn't expecting was for Oliver to step out onto the balcony and freeze upon seeing his face. He watched as Oliver took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself.

"I thought Laurel was crazy," Oliver all but whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

Tommy attempted to crack a smile but couldn't quite get the corners of his mouth to turn upwards. It certainly didn't come as easily as it once had. "You should know better than that."

Oliver ducked his head and then moved towards Tommy. While Tommy braced himself for some sort of impact, he wasn't expecting to be pulled into a hug. His eyes stung a bit with unshed tears-another thing that felt foreign. After a moment, Oliver released him and nodded towards the door.

"You'd better come in. I think we have a lot to talk about."

Tommy froze at the offer. He shouldn't be here. He knew that. And yet, here he was. Too much had happened in the years since his death and resurrection. Too much had changed. Hell, too much had changed while Oliver was on that island. And they might have worked through that, but he didn't know how to be the person that had once been Oliver's best friend.

Huh. He wondered if this was how Oliver had felt after returning from Lian Yu. It was that thought that spurred him on. He nodded curtly and followed Oliver inside. The loft wasn't the Queen mansion, but it was certainly spacious and decorated both tastefully and expensively. He took note of all of those things dispassionately. It was odd to visit Oliver in a place that wasn't his lifelong home, but it would appear that this was Oliver's new home. New home, new life.

"Nice place," he commented, resisting the urge to pace and instead just shifting his gaze around the room, silently mapping out an exit plan just in case. It was a force of habit that he'd developed during his time working for Darhk.

"Thanks," Oliver said, giving him a somewhat strange look.

The things left unsaid hung in the air between them. They both had questions and probably more stories to tell than time in which to share them. Tommy didn't plan on staying long. It was better for everyone involved if he didn't linger with the people he cared about. Darhk would likely have his ghosts searching high and low for his lost archer. And Tommy was lost as far as Darhk and HIVE were concerned. He'd die before he let them put him back in their ranks.

"Have a seat and I'll get you something to drink," Oliver broke through the odd moment of silence.

"Just water," Tommy said quickly. His head had been foggy for far too long. He wanted to hang onto this clarity. Ironic that he'd spent so much time drinking himself into oblivion and now that he had some modicum of freedom, that didn't appeal to him in the slightest.

To Oliver's credit, he said nothing about the request. He simply stepped over to the kitchen area and grabbed two bottles of water from the refrigerator before returning to where Tommy was hovering uncertainly near the couch. Oliver again gestured that he take a seat and sat down himself after offering up the water.

Tommy finally took a deep breath and sat.

"My father brought me back with something called Lazarus water," he began, knowing the question that Oliver most needed to know the answer to.

"I'm familiar with it," Oliver supplied. Tommy gave him a look that was halfway between alarmed and surprised. He supposed that more had happened in his friend's life than he could have imagined in the past few years.

"So you know about the bloodlust? I came back wrong. Feral." He suppressed a shiver at the memory of what that had felt like. "Damien Darhk supplied the water and also helped restore my soul. But it didn't quell the desire for blood. I wanted Malcolm dead. So Darhk took me off his hands and put me to work."

He couldn't look at Oliver. Instead, he tightened his grip around the water bottle, stopping just short of crushing it.

"I'm not the same man I was before my death." He chanced a glance over at Oliver. To his surprise, he saw a glimmer of understanding and compassion in his friends' eyes.

"Neither am I," Oliver said quietly. "It's not the same thing, but my brushes with death changed me too. The things I did on the island and afterwards..." he sighed heavily. "Since your death... I've tried another way to honor your memory. I've stumbled a few times, but..."

Tommy held up a hand to stop Oliver. "I'm pretty sure I'm not in a position to judge," he said.

"No, but I still wanted you to know. You helped me find a better way." Oliver's voice cracked just a bit with emotion. It was a rare occurrence between the two. Usually this would be the point where Tommy would play it off with some joke, but he was fresh out of humor right now.

"I killed him. My father," he added, looking away again.

He heard Oliver exhale. "I wondered. Thea and Laurel said..."

"I wouldn't have hurt them," Tommy said quickly. "The bloodlust drove me to kill the person responsible for my death. It's why my father all but washed his hands of me after bringing me back."

"I know the downsides of using the Lazarus pit waters to bring people back," Oliver said quietly.

Tommy looked at him in yet more shock.

"Thea," Oliver supplied. "Unfortunately, the man who killed her is already dead. And she is resisting the impulse to kill." _For now_ hung in the air as an unspoken addition to that sentence.

His thoughts of leaving town to protect everyone faded somewhat. He'd always looked at Thea as a little sister, and he'd tried to take care of her after Oliver's disappearance especially. Knowing that she was going through the same thing he had made him want to stick around and try to help her. He gaped at Oliver for a moment.

"You should probably talk to her," Oliver said, his expression tightening for reasons that Tommy couldn't quite understand.

"I will," the words left his lips before his brain could argue. If Thea needed him, then it looked like he'd be around here a little longer than expected. "Oliver, Damien Darhk isn't an easy opponent, but I'll tell you what I can and maybe that will help you all go up against him. Though I'm going to tell you now that it might be better to just find a way to run and hide."

Oliver gave him a look and shook his head somewhat.

"Right. Not your style," Tommy said with a soft laugh. "Of course not. So when did Laurel join your cause, anyways?" There were other questions about Laurel, but that was the somewhat safer one.

"Last year," Oliver said, after a long pause. "I did everything I could to discourage her, but..."

"When Laurel Lance sets her mind to something, there's no dissuading her," Tommy added.

"Yeah," Oliver said, tipping his water bottle towards Tommy's in a silent toast. It wasn't exactly the same as the old days, but that little action brought a familiarity that he hadn't had in years.

"So, the blonde?" Tommy gestured around the apartment.

"Felicity," Oliver supplied.

"Right, Felicity," Tommy said. He should have known that name, shouldn't he? "Is it serious?"

"Yeah," Oliver said without hesitation. "Felicity was the second person I brought into the mission. We've been through a lot and she's it."

"Wow," Tommy said quietly. That wasn't exactly what he'd expected out of their lives. He wasn't sure whether to be relieved that Oliver and Laurel hadn't ended up together or sad that his two best friends hadn't been able to work that out "I'm happy for you."

 

"As far as I know, Laurel hasn't dated since we lost you," Oliver said.

Tommy couldn't bring himself to look at Oliver. He wasn't sure how to react to that.

"I didn't want that. So you two-?"

"We realized that we were never really right for each other."

"Is she happy?" That was the question that mattered most. He thought that Laurel deserved more than he could offer her, so he couldn't even hope that her being available meant anything. He just wanted to know that she was okay.

Oliver drew out a long breath.

"She's had a rough couple of years. But she's a fighter. Always has been, hasn't she?"

"Yeah," Tommy said, not entirely comfortable with that answer. She might be a fighter, but that didn't mean that he wanted her to have to fight. He didn't want any of them to have to fight off demons, but internal and external.

"Are you staying?" Oliver's question came after a long pause, as if he had to work up the nerve to ask the question.

Tommy shrugged. "I don't know. I'll see this Darhk thing through and help you if I can. After that, I'm not sure."

He saw Oliver's jaw clench, but eventually Oliver nodded.

"Okay."

The Oliver that had gone down with the Queen's Gambit would never have just accepted that. He would have fought and argued and offered copious amounts of booze to make sure that Tommy didn't leave town. But Oliver had changed, and it struck Tommy that his old friend might know a thing or two about needing to put distance between yourself and your loved ones.

They both fell into a comfortable silence as Tommy mulled over his next move. For now, though, he'd simply revel in the break from being Darhk's puppet and the memories that had assaulted him after killing his father. The blood on his hands would always hang over him, but this was a brief respite where he could almost feel normal again.


	10. The Canary Cry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laurel journeys to Central City to meet with Team Flash about her newfound sonic scream.

Thea had all but shoved Laurel out the door and on her way to Central City. Laurel hated the idea of leaving town when Thea had just lost her biological father, when Tommy was back, and Damien Darhk was an ever growing issue. But Thea had practically thrown an intervention to insist that she visited STAR labs to figure out why her sonic scream was suddenly happening even without a device. And her unofficial sister was right, really. She needed answers to what was going on with her scream.

Iris picked her up from the train station. That was definitely an upside to all of this. After Laurel heard about what had happened in Central City a few months ago, she'd reached out to Iris and Caitlin. After all, she knew what it felt like to lose a man you loved. Oh boy, did she ever. Since then, she'd had skype 'gal-dates' with both women occasionally, and had tried to grab a meal each time she was in town visiting her mom. Which was a little more often these days. Her history with her mom was fraught with pain and complications, but losing Sara again had made Laurel want to hang onto the family that she had left. Plus, she hadn't wanted her mom to go through this loss alone. This visit, however, wasn't one that she'd tell her mother about. She didn't feel up to the tightrope walk that was their relationship at times, and she needed to be around people who knew everything that currently had her mind reeling.

Iris had greeted her with a warm hug and swept her into the car before she'd said anything more. It was only once they got on the road towards STAR labs that Iris glanced over at her.

"So. New powers and a boyfriend back from the dead? You're having an interesting month, huh?"

"Iris-" Laurel said, her tone soft. She could only imagine how Iris might be feeling, and how this might tug at the still fresh grief over Eddie.

Iris held up a hand and smiled over at Laurel.

"Laurel, I'm okay. And if you think you're going to distract me from asking about all of this, then you don't know me that well."

Laurel had to smile as Iris went into investigative reporter mode. She'd seen it before, but it wasn't usually directed at her. Though it was no surprise that the daughter of a police officer was tenacious when it came to getting what she wanted or needed.

"It's weird, having him back. There are things that he needs to know about me, and what if it changes how he feels? And what if we can't reach him, can't help him?"

"That's a lot of what ifs," Iris said with a sympathetic grimace. "And you won't know until you talk to him."

Laurel sighed. "There's the other issue. He's avoiding me. Or just about everyone, really. He's talked to Oliver, but is mostly keeping his distance. I don't even know where to find him, let alone how to help him with this. And if he doesn't want me in his life anymore, I can understand that. But if we can't help him be okay?" she trailed off, and shook her head. She didn't exactly feel as though she deserved Tommy's love. Not after what had happened with Oliver. But she just needed him to be okay. And from what she could tell, he was in pain right now and she felt powerless to fix things for him.

"Hey," Iris said, putting a hand on Laurel's shoulder for a moment. "If he doesn't want you in his life anymore, that's his loss. As for the rest... you, Oliver, and Tommy grew up together. That's the kind of bond that doesn't break so easily. You'll get through to him eventually. I'm sure of it."

Laurel bit her lip to keep from saying anything about how Iris would know all about the love between people who'd grown up together. She had her suspicions about Iris and Barry, though she knew that it was too soon after Eddie's death to push that issue. Even if she wanted to see Iris happy too.

All things in due time, she supposed. She gave Iris a grateful smile.

"Thanks. I hope you're right."

"I'm right," Iris said confidently as she pulled her car into a spot outside STAR labs. "Now let's go see about these new powers of yours."

\----

Laurel felt a little bit like a lab rat after about an hour of Caitlin running every medical test she could imagine. Though she had to say that testing out her new scream with the obstacle course Cisco had arranged was kind of fun. She was still a little terrified of that much power coming from her vocal chords, especially when she hadn't fully figured out how to turn it on or off.

Luckily, quite a few tries with Cisco and Barry coaching her and she was starting to feel more confident. And she was pretty sure she'd gotten it right when Cisco pushed the button to have what was left of the dummies he'd put out for her swept away and let out a little whoop.

"Your codename just got a whole lot more accurate, Black Canary." He took a step towards Laurel and gave her a quick hug. "How long have you been hiding this?"

Laurel shook her head quickly. "Not long. It just happened."

The group convened in the control room and Laurel filled them in on her kidnapping and how the scream had just come out. Barry shook his head a little bit as Damien Darhk's name got brought up.

"You will let us know if we can do anything to help with Darhk?" he asked.

"Of course," Laurel said. "We're still trying to figure out a way to take him down. That whole magic thing is..."

"Pretty freaking cool?" Cisco filled in, and then looked around sheepishly. "I mean dangerous. Definitely dangerous."

"Yeah," Laurel said, a faint hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. There was something about hanging out with the gang at STAR labs that made her feel more at home than she did in Starling City sometimes. She might have finally 'earned' her spot on Team Arrow, but things were a lot more complicated with Oliver and Felicity back again. She was pretty sure that Oliver would never fully accept her as a vigilante, but she was past caring about his approval and they were now just learning to coexist with this new status quo.

After they'd finished discussing Damian Darhk and the goings on in Starling City, Caitlin pulled up some of the test results and sat next to Laurel to show them to her. Not that Laurel was going to get much from looking at the very sparse read-outs, but Caitlin certainly seemed to get meaning from them.

"I don't know what caused this change to your vocal chords, but there's something in your genes that allowed it. Did you come into contact with anything that might have... altered your genetic make-up at some point?"

Laurel frowned and shook her head. "Not that I know of."

"If I didn't know better, I'd say this was a latent gene that's been just biding its time, but..." Caitlin shrugged and shook her head. "I think I need to do more research and test out some more hypotheses. It wouldn't be the first time that we've heard of a metahuman who wasn't in Central City when the Particle Accelerator exploded, but this is still just."

"Weird," Barry supplied. "It's weird, right? Even for us."

"Not exactly the scientific term for it, but yeah, it's weird," Caitlin said. "Though possibly useful?" she gave Laurel a small smile. "After all, you can now do what you do without Cisco's canary cry device."

"Tenfold," Cisco added in. "Her new scream is a lot more powerful than the one I designed for her. And that's saying something," he said with a slightly cocky grin.

Laurel spent the next couple of days training with Team Flash and even helping out with a string of burglaries that had cropped up in the city. It felt good to get away from home for awhile and focus on this new ability, but Tommy and Thea were never far from her mind. Nor was work or her night time activities back home.

She felt like she was starting to gain control over the sonic scream though. She still didn't know how to feel about having so much power at her fingertips. Or on the tip of her tongue, to be more accurate. But Caitlin was right that it could come in handy, and she was determined to use it for good.

She took the late train back to Starling City. At first glance, she thought that Thea was home when she let herself into the apartment, even though Thea had texted her to tell her that she'd be patrolling the city tonight. There was a light on in the kitchen. Laurel moved slowly, cautiously, towards the source of the light.

"Thea?" she called out tentatively. Her defenses were up, but that was nothing new these days.

"No," a female voice said.

Laurel drew in a sharp breath as a very familiar blonde stepped out of the kitchen door and moved towards her.

"Sara?"

A small, somewhat sad smile spread across her sister's lips. Laurel blinked a few times as her brain tried to catch up with what her eyes were seeing. And if she hadn't just discovered her not as dead as she thought ex-boyfriend wandering around the city, this might have been even more of a shock. As it was, she struggled to string two words together, let alone an intelligent thought.

"It's me, Laurel."

Sara's arms were around her in a tight hug before Laurel had time to say anything. She buried her head in her sister's hair and let out a sob. She just hung on for a long moment, letting the tears flow. And for her part, Sara allowed her to.

Finally, Laurel tried to get her wits about her and pulled away enough to look at Sara's face.

"How...." she started, trying to figure out how to phrase the question.

"How am I alive?" Sara asked, with a dark smile. "It's a long and seemingly unreal story. And it's not the point right now. Damien Darhk is about to get a whole lot worse for this city and for... for you. I'm here to help."

Laurel gaped at her sister in shock. Sara merely set her expression into that one that she knew oh so well. The expression that said that Sara wasn't going to spill anything until she got what she'd come for. Whatever that was.

"Come on. Let's sit down. We have a lot to talk about." Sara beckoned.

And Laurel found that she could no more say no to her sister than back when they'd been kids growing up together. She didn't know how Sara could be back, but for now it was just enough that she was. And they had work to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I took some liberties with Laurel's friendships with Team Flash but let's be real-she and Iris would get along well if they'd actually been allowed to share some screentime. And obviously offscreen friendships with Cisco and Caitlin were alluded to so... yeah. More canon fix-its. 
> 
> And obviously I'm changing how Sara came back. Lots of AU from Season 4 because so much of Season 4 left a bad taste in my mouth. So hopefully you all enjoy.


	11. Blood Connections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thea and Tommy have a heart to heart.

Tommy spent a lot of time lurking on rooftops these days. He'd tried to stay out of Oliver's way since that first conversation, and he still hadn't gone to see Laurel. Though he'd watched her enough to know that she'd left town for awhile. She was back now. He knew he had no right spying on her and yet he couldn't quite keep away. He stood on the rooftop of the building across the street from her apartment, watching intently. There wasn't much to see save for the light filtering through the curtains that indicated that someone was home.

"I kind of figured I'd find you here," a female voice spoke up from behind.

Tommy whirled around, recognizing Thea's voice instantly.

"You know we have this thing called a doorbell that normal people use when they want to see people."

Tommy turned his back to Thea, but looked out over the city as it spread away from Laurel's apartment building. It hurt to have too many reminders of the people he'd cared about in his life before his death and resurrection. Before he'd been infected with a darkness that wouldn't just wash out. He might have purged his bloodlust by killing his father, but that didn't erase the things that he'd done over the last few years.

"I'm not exactly normal, am I?"

"Join the club," Thea said with a scoff. "But I still think that you could do better than being lurker guy."

In spite of himself, Tommy cracked a small smile and glanced over at Thea again. "Maybe."

His smile faded just as quickly as it came and he shifted his gaze back to Laurel's dark window.

"So you and Laurel are out there fighting crime with Oliver. Are you staying safe?"

"Define safe," Thea shot back.

Tommy sighed and shook his head. He knew better than to blame Oliver for 'letting' the two suit up and put their necks on the line. He knew that both Thea and Laurel had minds of their own a strong will that couldn't be deterred by Oliver or anyone else. But it didn't exactly put his mind at ease to think of the two out there risking their lives.

"Tommy, there's something I need to tell you," all traces of mirth disappeared from Thea's voice.

He looked down at her, his brow furrowing in concern. "I'm listening."

Thea shifted her gaze to her hands, fidgeting somewhat. "I'm... uh, you..." she bit her lip and then looked up to meet his eyes. "My mom had an affair with your dad."

Tommy drew in a breath, but wasn't entirely surprised by this information. His dad had had many indiscretions and so had Robert Queen. It wasn't a comfortable revelation, but he wasn't sure why Thea felt the need to tell him about it just now.

"When?"

"1994. Malcolm is-was-my father."

He hadn't been expecting that. The words didn't even make sense to him right away. He stared at Thea, turning this all over in his mind.

"You're my-" he couldn't even form the word at first.

"Your half sister," Thea filled in for him.

He thought he saw a hesitancy to her look, as though she were worried about being rejected. It was that look more than anything that startled Tommy out of his own head. He tried not to relive the moment where he'd murdered his father, tried not to think about Thea being right there as Malcolm had fallen. Tried and failed. He lifted a hand to reach out to Thea and then put it back down.

"I'm sorry," he said. He didn't specify what the apology was for. Sorry that she'd had to deal with having Malcolm as her father, sorry for killing him, sorry for not being around these last few years.

A few tears shone in Thea's eyes. Tommy felt a stab of regret at putting them there. Thea had been his honorary little sister for nearly all his life, particularly after Oliver disappeared and was presumed dead. He might have been too screwed up to watch out for her properly, but it didn't stop him from feeling like he should have done better for her. And especially now with the revelation that they were siblings by blood.

"Tommy, I know what it's like to have the Pit messing with your mind. I know why you killed him. I just hope it brought you some peace."

Tommy frowned. "I'm not sure yet."

His mind was more his own now, but he didn't think that he'd ever feel at peace with all that he'd done over the last few years, nor with the people that he'd left behind and how his 'death' had affected them.

He closed the distance between them and hesitantly held out his arms for her. She all but slumped against him and he wrapped her up in a somewhat awkward hug. It had been a long time since he'd shown any sort of affection for anyone. It didn't feel as natural as doling out pain in all of the ways he'd been taught to do so, but it felt better. Maybe a little more like his old life.

Thea's shoulders shook and his arms tightened around her. After a long few minutes, she pulled away and swiped at her eyes.

"It's not like he was going to win father of the year, and I'm not even sure if I'm glad that he's gone," she said, her voice quavering.

He nodded, because he knew the feeling all too well. Though in his case, it was more complicated because his father's death was his fault. Whatever else could be said about the bloodlust that he'd gained from the Lazarus pit, he'd still pulled the trigger and he couldn't help but feel that maybe he should have been able to exert more self control.

"You're not disappointed that you're not an only child, are you?" Thea asked, trying to sound like she was making light of the subject but he could tell that his answer meant a lot more than she'd want to let on. And with that, some of his resolve to leave town after Darhk had been dealt with melted.

He reached out to sling an arm over her shoulders.

"Nah. I'm pretty sure I won the illegitimate half-sibling lottery here," he teased.

Some of the tension left Thea's face and she smiled up at him. He tried to wrap his mind around the fact that she was actually, literally his sister. And somehow, it made him feel a little less alone.

Thea touched her ear and he noted a small headset in there. It made sense-the team had to stay in touch somehow. Oliver, the one who supposedly wanted to go all 'lone wolf' had really changed his ways, Tommy thought with a little touch of amusement.

Thea must have turned her microphone back on because after a moment of listening, she answered.

"Got it, Canary. I'm with the Dark Archer right now. We'll be there in a few."

Tommy moved his arm off her shoulders and looked down at her, a little panicked.

"I don't think that's a good idea," he mumbled.

Thea gave him a defiant look.

"It's a great idea. Damien Darhk is an 'all hands on deck' kind of situation and hey, you've got hands. Come on. Besides, don't you want to see our secret lair?" Her eyes lit up a bit at that and there was a childish excitement that reminded him so much of the 7 year old that had been so into archery and horseback riding, long before she'd lost so much.

He paused, weighing his options. She was right that he wanted to help take down the man who'd used him as a lapdog for years, who'd hurt Laurel and tried to have Oliver killed. Finally, he nodded his agreement.

"Alright, I'm in."

Thea's grin made him a whole lot more confident about his choice.


	12. Superhero Clubhouse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Arrow is surprised to discover that Sara's back and has info on their latest baddie.

Laurel knew that it was going to be a shock for the team to see Sara back and alive. She still didn't know if this was all just an elaborate dream or what. She knew that Sara had begged her not to tell their father though, promising to tell him when she was ready. Sara was also cagey about any plans beyond stopping Damien Darhk and how she'd come back from the dead. Then again, it hadn't been the first time for the youngest Lance sister, had it? 

At Sara's request, Laurel called the meeting without giving too many details. They waited in the bunker for everyone to arrive. Sara paced the space and looked around at the costume display cases and the training area. 

"Wow. New and improved digs," she remarked. 

"Yeah. Oliver finally accepted that we needed more space, considering the team's growth. Sara-" she began, but was cut off as the door opened to reveal Felicity and Oliver. 

The two had entered holding hands and Sara exchanged a knowing look with Laurel before Felicity let out a gasp and dropped Oliver's hand, pointing at Sara. 

"Do you see who I'm seeing? Please tell me that I'm not seeing things." She glanced down quickly. "It's not a dream, because I would have forgotten my clothes. Which means..." she looked up at Oliver and then back to Laurel and Sara apologetically. "You didn't need to know all that." 

"She's really here," Laurel reassured Felicity and Oliver, who couldn't take his eyes off Sara. "I don't know why or how, but she came to help up us with Damien Darhk. I think we can sort out the rest of the details later." 

Oliver moved away from Felicity and started to circle Sara, staring in disbelief mixed with suspicion. 

"Ollie, it's me. I'd invite you to ask me something that only I would know, but I assume you'd probably rather not," Sara half nodded to the other two women in the room. 

Laurel bit her lip and glanced away for a moment. Sara and Oliver's history was still a sore spot for her, though she'd spent a lot of time and effort on moving past it. When she looked back up, Oliver had tentatively moved forward to envelope Sara in a hug. He still looked wary, but cautiously optimistic. 

By the time Diggle arrived, Felicity had taken her usual spot in front of the computer and Oliver stood behind her with a hand absently rubbing her shoulder. Thea was the last to arrive. Or rather, Laurel thought she'd be the last to arrive until Tommy followed in closely behind. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched her ex-boyfriend make his way into the room. She knew that he'd stuck around in town and a part of her had been hoping that he'd come see her. But she was going to give him his space. She owed him that much, maybe for more reasons than he realized. 

But seeing him here? Walking in like part of the team... it made her heart ache just a bit. Whether it was aching for what could have been or what once was, she wasn't sure. 

Tommy did a double take at the sight of Sara and Thea's jaw almost dropped. Laurel moved closer to her roommate and surrogate sister. Thea started to back out of the room, but Laurel reached out to touch her arm. 

"Thea, it's okay," she said softly. "We need you here." 

Thea looked over at Sara who nodded. 

"I know what happened, and it wasn't your fault," Sara said softly. 

A little of the tension left Thea's posture, but she still seemed a little thrown off. Laurel held out an arm for comfort and felt a little surge of relief when Thea leaned into her and let her slip the arm around her shoulders. 

"So, I guess we should start a club," Tommy joked feebly to Sara. 

"I guess we should," Sara said, though her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. Laurel knew that whatever Sara wasn't telling her about her return was probably bad news, but she had to cling to the hope that this was a good thing. That maybe two of the people she loved could be returned to her life. 

"I know how to stop Damien Darhk," Sara pressed on. "And I know exactly what will happen to the world if we don't." 

"How do you know this?" Diggle asked. 

Sara looked at him and shook her head briefly. 

"Doesn't matter how. The source of his magic is an idol that we need to destroy. Destroy that, then he's just another asshole in a suit." 

"It does matter, Sara," Diggle said, squaring off as though he was preparing for a fight. "You don't get to come back from the dead _again_ and just expect us to swallow whatever you're spoonfeeding to us." 

"Dig," Oliver said, taking a step away from Felicity and putting himself between Diggle and Sara. "Let's hear her out. It wouldn't be the first time that I've encountered an idol that grants magical powers." Diggle looked mutinous and Oliver froze for a moment, before adding a word that Laurel hadn't heard often while in the Arrow cave. "Please." 

John looked over at Laurel, whose expression silently pleaded with him to just listen. She needed the team to hear her sister out, and she needed things to be alright now that Sara was back. As his eyes met hers, John faltered and nodded tersely. "Continue," he said to Sara. 

After discussing everything that Sara knew about Darhk and his idol, Oliver suggested that they call in some help that might understand the mystical more than this team did. He promised that he knew a guy who could help, while Laurel suggested that they call in Vixen as well. 

"Vixen?" Sara asked, looking at the two in confusion. Laurel quickly explained about the woman with the magical totem that allowed her to take on the abilities of various animals. 

Sara blinked and continued to stare. 

"So, the superhero clubhouse just keeps getting more crowded," she muttered. 

Oliver didn't comment on that, but instead gave a nervous glance between Sara and Diggle, who was still watching her with a wary eye. 

"So from what I gather, we need to stake out Darhk and find where he's keeping this totem. If we can destroy it, then we have a fighting chance." 

Sara nodded slowly. "Yeah, but we need to do more than destroy it. Once it's in pieces, we have to scatter those all around the world to make sure that no one can put them back together." She gave Laurel a furtive look that Laurel couldn't quite read. 

They spent some time organizing the watch on Darhk and discussing potential locations where the idol might be stored. And then the team was dismissed. Laurel glanced at Tommy, who looked like he felt out of place. He avoided her gaze, but he couldn't exactly avoid walking out near her. 

Once outside, a man in a long trench coat stepped out of the shadows. 

"Sara," he called out. 

Sara stopped and looked at Laurel nervously, before casting a defiant look at the man. 

"Laurel, this is Rip Hunter. He's sort of the reason that I'm back here." 

Rip gave Sara an exasperated look, and Laurel wondered what exactly the dynamic was between the two and who Rip was beyond his mysterious role in Sara's resurrection. 

"Could I have some time to talk to Rip alone?" Sara asked. 

Laurel hesitated, but Sara's pleading look finally got through to her. 

"I'm just a phone call away," she promised Sara, and gave Rip a warning look before taking her leave. 

Thea glanced at Tommy, who looked ready to fade into the shadows, and then joined Laurel and locked arms with her roommate. 

"Come on. I'm pretty sure that there's a Big Belly Burger meal with our name on it." 

Laurel looked over her shoulder at her sister, almost afraid to let Sara out of her sight. She sighed and then allowed Thea to lead her away. Tommy was already gone, and Laurel had to wonder if he'd ever be willing to talk to her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm playing fast and loose with season 4 canon and the way Sara was brought back. All will be explained re: Sara's return next chapter.


	13. The Side Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sara has a few things to say to Tommy.

Tommy had gotten good at hiding over the last few years. He didn't leave after the meeting but simply chose to cling to the shadows and observe. Sara didn't look happy to see the man called Rip, and he couldn't help but linger in case there was trouble. From what he'd heard, Sara could take care of herself. But that didn't stop him from wanting to watch out for Laurel's little sister if he could. 

He watched as Sara crossed her arms and squared off with Rip. 

"I'm not going back until Darhk is dead. So unless you want to knock me out and take me back to that rooftop, I'm seeing this through." 

"I could, you know," Rip replied. 

"You could," Sara agreed. "But you still need me. And if we can try to save your family, then we sure as hell can try to save mine too." 

Rip stared at her, his lips moving but no sound coming out. Finally, he sighed and nodded. 

"Fine. The team will do what we can to support you." 

Sara nodded curtly. "Good. Then until we get our showdown, I'll be at Laurel's." 

Rip looked weary but nodded. "The Waverider's parked just outside of the city if you need us. We'll be in touch." 

As Rip walked away, Sara turned towards Tommy's hiding spot. 

"You can come out, Merlyn." 

He grimaced at being detected, but stepped out of the shadows. 

"You tell Laurel what you heard, and I'll gut you." 

Tommy blinked at the threat, nonplussed, though still a little confused about what he'd overheard. 

"And why's that?" 

Sara looked up at him, and he got the sense that she could see right through to his intentions. Even if he was still working out what his own intentions were. She nodded to herself slowly, though he couldn't be sure what she'd confirmed. 

"Rip didn't bring me back from the dead. He's a time traveler, and he plucked me from minutes before my death. He needs help saving his family and he gave me the chance to... do some good before I go back to that point. Laurel doesn't need to know. I think she'll be happier if she thinks that I'm just off adventuring somewhere. If she knows, she won't stop until she's found a way to save me or died in the process." 

A knife twisted in Tommy's gut as he knew that Sara was right. 

"Dinah Laurel Lance, always trying to save the people she loves," he murmured. 

"Exactly," Sara said with a decisive nod. 

"She still deserves to know," he said with a sigh. "But it's not my place to tell her." 

Sara looked away from him, arms hugging herself against the chill in the air. "It's better this way," she said, though he wasn't sure which of them that she was trying to convince. He said nothing. 

Sara shifted her blue eyes back to his. "You haven't talked to her much since you returned, have you?" 

It was his turn to look away. "It's better that way." 

"Maybe," Sara said. "I heard that you were revived with a Lazarus pit. I've heard stories about others who have walked that path. I'm betting that you think you don't deserve her after all you've done the last few years." 

Tommy didn't answer her, though Sara was hitting too close to home. 

"Bloodlust is a tricky thing. It taps into your own inner darkness, but it also brings out the absolute worst that anyone is capable. You get the demons from all the souls that have gone into the pit before you, and it warps you. You didn't have much choice in what you became. At least you didn't willingly sign on with the League of Assassins to do their bidding." 

Tommy had heard some about Sara's activities, but it was very different to hear Sara speak about it. He looked back to her and saw the regret and guilt etched into her features. He didn't interrupt her, but simply listened. 

"Laurel knew what I became and loved me anyways. I stayed away because I thought that there was no way my family could love what I'd become. I thought they were better off without me. I should have given them more credit." 

"That's not-" Tommy started to defend himself, to explain that it wasn't about his faith in Laurel. 

"It's exactly what's going on," Sara cut across him. "Laurel has this way of loving you and bringing out the best in you and if you're going to deny her that chance, then you're an idiot. And if I can't stick around and be there for her, I'd feel better knowing that she at least gets someone she loves back." 

"I wasn't the one she loved," Tommy said, trying to block out the image of Laurel and Oliver pressed up against her window. 

"Bullshit," Sara said. "You didn't see her during the year after your death. Oliver was an important part of her past, but you..." she shrugged. "You were supposed to be her future." 

She turned her back on him and started down the street. Tommy stared after her in shock.

He couldn't say how long he wandered the city after his talk with Sara. He spent some of the time observing from rooftops, but he did stop a mugging. It felt better than he'd felt in years. It didn't make up for the lives he'd taken or the pain that he'd caused, but... it felt like a start to something. 

When he couldn't avoid Sara's words any longer, he stopped in at the Chinese restaurant that had once been Laurel's favorite. He just hoped that her tastes hadn't changed that much. 

He just hoped that she was still awake. But then again, he got the feeling that she was keeping later hours than ever now that she'd become a part of Oliver's crimefighting team. 

He almost turned around and left once he got to her door. Did he really have a right to just knock after all that had happened? Would she even want to see him? 

His heart caught in his throat as she answered the door. She was wearing shorts that highlighted her legs and a t-shirt that he vaguely remembered leaving at her apartment a few years back. Her hair was blonder than he'd ever seen it before his 'death,' but she was every bit as beautiful as he remembered. If not moreso. He stood in the doorway, drinking in the sight of her and waiting for some sign that he was welcome. 

Her eyes shone with tears as she looked him over in surprise. After what seemed like an age, she threw her arms around him. He froze for a moment. It had been so long since he'd received any sort of physical contact that wasn't rooted in violence. Even longer since he'd been hugged quite like this. He awkwardly clung to the takeout bag as his arms found their way around her waist. He felt a few spots of dampness as her tears fell onto his shoulders, but he didn't care. He would hold her as long as she'd let him.


	14. Second Chances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Tommy shows up at her door, Laurel finally gets the chance to talk to him.

Sara didn't say much when she got back from her conversation with Rip. She simply disappeared into the guest room with a muttered excuse about being tired. Laurel knew her sister well enough to know that asking for answers right now would get her nowhere. It wouldn't stop her from wondering and worrying though. Laurel couldn't sleep as easily as Sara or even Thea-she'd insisted that the youngest Queen take her bed so she could hopefully fall asleep on the couch while watching something to take her mind off her worries. 

It was times like these that she was glad there wasn't anything to drink in the house. She had everyone she loved back in her life, and yet... and yet, Tommy was avoiding her and was clearly hurting. And Sara... well, there was something important that Sara was holding back from her and she couldn't help but worry that this bubble would burst soon. 

She went through a series of stretches and took some time to meditate in an attempt to clear her mind. It helped take the edge off. And then it was time for comfort TV. She'd seen When Harry Met Sally enough times that she could recite it in her sleep. And it never failed to take her mind off whatever was going on, never failed to draw a few tears as well. 

She was halfway through the movie when someone knocked at the door. Laurel glanced towards the bedrooms, thinking that the two people most likely to be knocking on her door at this time of night were already fast asleep and here. It could be Oliver, John, or Felicity with some sort of bad news. Or it could be someone who was more foe than friend. Her muscles tightened as her body went into defensive mode. She crept towards the door as quietly as she could manage and looked through the peephole. Her mouth dropped open and her fingers rushed to unlock and open the door. She was in such a rush that she even tried turning the deadbolt the wrong way before she got it right. She half expected him to be gone by the time she opened the door. And yet there he was. She stared in surprise and then all but threw herself at him. It was a relief when his arms slipped around her waist and he just stood there, holding her. 

She couldn't say how long they'd remained in the doorway, but she soaked up the contact, breathing in the scent that had long since washed out of the shirt she was currently wearing. Eventually, she tugged him inside the apartment and closed and locked the door behind the two of them. The aroma of the Chinese food and the bag in his hand registered finally. For a moment, it was as though the last four years had been nothing but a bad dream. 

"You brought food?" she asked, casting about for something more intelligent to say. "We should sit." 

"I brought food," he confirmed with a nod. "I know better than to come in the middle of the night without some sort of offering." The smile didn't reach his eyes like in the old days, but it was there. 

He followed her over to the couch and started to remove the takeout containers. Without asking, he passed her the General Tso's and a pair of chopsticks. She watched him as he opened up his Sweet and Sour chicken and settled back on the couch. 

"Are you doing okay?" she asked. 

He looked over at her and pursed his lips together. "I don't know how I'm doing, to be honest. I'm not even sure if I should be here. Laurel, the things I've done over the last few years..." 

She reached out and touched his shoulder gingerly, as if he might run if she got too handsy. 

"You came back to us. That's all I care about. I know that the bloodlust isn't an easy thing to cope with. I just wish we'd been able to help you sooner." 

She tried not to think about Thea, who was still struggling with the bloodlust. She might not have had Damien Darhk pushing her buttons, but she was fighting against the drive to kill all the same. He stared at her, clearly searching for what to say. 

"I'm sorry I didn't come here sooner." 

"You're here now," she said softly. 

They fell into an almost comfortable silence as they each ate their food. And as much as she wanted it to be, it wasn't like the old days. Before all of this, there would be banter, and laughter, and attempts to steal bites of each other's food. When they'd been together, there was just as much chance that they'd get distracted from the food with more fun activities. Instead, she kept her hands to herself and he did the same. There were things that he still deserved to know, even if she wasn't prepared for the hurt that was likely to come as a result. 

When she got to the point where she couldn't stomach another bite, she realized that she couldn't put it off any longer. 

"Tommy? I have to tell you something." 

He set his carton down and met her gaze. "I'm listening." 

She looked down at her hands and tried to hold back tears. 

"I wasn't fair to you. I never really figured out how to let go of Oliver. Not in time. He ran off to screw my sister, and he died, and I wanted to hate him for it. I wanted to be angry and move on. But I couldn't get over the guilt of hating both of them and it never quite blocked out the pain of losing them. I spent those five years in a cycle of anger and grief and I didn't do enough to try to move on." 

Tommy had been the one to point that out to her, once upon a time. He'd been the only one to recognize that she'd just buried her feelings in studying and then working, in being the best she could be as a student and then a lawyer. 

"And then he came back, and I just... it brought up all those feelings that I never resolved." She bit her lip and realized she was rambling. It was just important that he understood why. And maybe she wanted to put off that moment when he'd hate her. "And then you found a way through my walls." She sniffled a little, but continue. "You made me feel all those things that I'd thought were gone forever. But after you left... I made a mistake. Oliver and I-" 

"I know, Laurel," he cut her off. 

She looked at him in surprise and he gave her a strained smile. 

"You really should start keeping your blinds closed." 

The weight of those words hit her like a ton of bricks. She took a deep breath and willed herself yet again to hold the tears in. It wasn't fair to cry in front of him. Not about this. 

"I'm sorry. It was a mistake. Falling back into Oliver was just falling back on something that I'd never quite gotten over. But it wasn't right. Ollie and I were never right together." 

"Funny. I left because I was so sure that you were supposed to be with him. I found out that he was the man in the hood and I just knew that when you found out, you'd choose him." 

"I wouldn't have," Laurel said quickly. "But..." she sighed and spread her arms out in a gesture of helplessness. "I never wanted you to die for me." 

"I just wanted you safe and happy," he said. "I thought that you and Oliver would take care of each other and that you'd be okay." 

"I should never have made you question how I felt. I was so busy keeping you at arm's length so you couldn't hurt me that I ended up hurting you." The tears spilled over as she looked up at him again. "I love you, Tommy. I might have realized that too late, but I do. I understand if you don't want to go back to what we had, but I want to be there for you. Please let me." 

He stared at her, his expression unreadable. She half expected him to bolt. But maybe that was just the part of her that felt as though everyone she loved would leave eventually. 

She didn't expect him to put a hand behind her head and tug her to him. His lips met hers and she froze in shock before softening and losing herself in the kiss. 

"I love you too, Laurel. God, I've missed you." 

"I've missed you too," she replied, breaking the kiss and just leaning against him. His arms slipped around her and he gave her a tight squeeze. 

"We've got a lot of catching up to do. I want to tell you as much as you want to know about the last few years, but I might need some time to ease into talking about it," he said. She tilted her head to look up at him and noticed the hard set of his jaw and the haunted look in his eyes. 

She nodded and curled into him. 

"I have things to tell you too, but they can wait. With any luck, we'll have time to talk about all of it." 

Time was never guaranteed to anyone. She'd learned that the hard way when the Queen's Gambit went down. And yet, she'd been granted second chances with three of the people who meant the world to her. And she wasn't going to waste it. 

She wanted to know about what Tommy had been through over the last few years and she thought he deserved to know about the things she'd dealt with and even the things that she wasn't proud of. But for now, she just wanted to stay in his arms and savor this moment.


	15. Sacrifices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy would do anything to prevent Sara's fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who have stuck with my spotty updates. We're in the home stretch now-just a few more chapters before I wrap the story up. I'll try to be better about updates moving forward.

Tommy didn't want to let go of Laurel after their talk. Thankfully, she seemed to feel the same. He'd held her until she drifted off to sleep and eventually he'd been able to join her. Usually, his sleep was punctuated with nightmares of CNRI toppling down on him, and of all the blood he'd drawn over the last few years. Tonight, his sleep was dreamless. The woman in his arms was a steadying presence that quieted the demons for a little while. 

He woke to the sounds of someone moving around nearby. His grip tightened on Laurel and his adrenaline spiked as he listened to try to get a sense of who was nearby. It wasn't until he heard a soft giggle that the tension left his muscles and he took a deep breath. 

"Well, I guess Laurel had a good night," he heard Thea's voice. 

"Almost feel bad about taking her bed," Sara replied, and Thea giggled again. 

"When this Darhk business blows over, I'm renting them the Honeymoon suite at the Plaza," Thea said. 

The conversation became more hushed as the two clinked their way through the kitchen, clearly making breakfast. Laurel slept through it all, and Tommy was grateful for that. From the look in her eyes lately, she hadn't been sleeping well enough. 

When the door shut to signify that Sara and Thea had left for the day, Tommy got up and dressed quickly. He scribbled out a note promising Laurel that he'd back after he took care of some things, and then he headed out. 

Sara wasn't easy to tail, and he had the feeling that she was aware that someone was following her. He watched from a distance as she raised her hand to knock on what looked like air, but sounded like she was rapping on something metal. Moments later, a door lowered to let her in. He waited for nearly an hour before Sara left again. And then he headed to the same spot and found the object that was invisible but solid. He rapped on the side of it and moments later, the door lowered. The man that Sara had introduced as Rip Hunter stepped into the light of the doorway and frowned at him. 

"Thomas Merlyn. I thought we might be seeing you soon," he stepped aside to usher Tommy inside. 

Once inside, Tommy couldn't help but draw in a breath as he looked around the... spaceship? Time machine? He wasn't sure what to call it, but it looked a little like something out of Star Trek. 

A few other people sat around the table-Tommy recognized Ray Palmer, and thought maybe he recognized two thieves from Central City, but he had to be mistaken on that, right? 

A woman in a crop top waved at him from the end of the room and he spotted an elderly gentleman and a young black teenager hunched over a paper with something on it, though he couldn't tell what. 

"What can we do for you, Merlyn?" Rip asked him. 

Tommy looked at the group around the room and then back to Rip, wondering how much he should say in front of the rest of them. 

"We're a team, Archer. Whatever you want to say to me, you can say in front of the rest of them." 

Tommy looked again to the strange gathering and then back to Hunter. He straightened his back in preparation for an argument and squared off with Rip. 

"Sara. She told me that you took her from minutes before her death and you plan to bring her back to die. You have a damn time machine and you're telling me that you can't just save her?" 

"Called it," drawled one of the men who resembled some of Central City's thieves. "You all owe me drinks." 

Rip rolled his eyes at the man. "Yes, Snart, you won the pool on this one." 

Tommy couldn't help but glare a little at the conversation that was clearly poking fun at his request. 

It was Palmer that spoke up then. 

"We're working on some ideas. We haven't told Sara yet because she was so focused on coming back to this moment to help her sister, but there's some future tech that could mimic her body well enough to fake her death so we don't disrupt history too much." 

The man sitting next to Snart scoffed and shook his head. 

"Since when have we worried about disrupting history?" 

Rip gave him a severe look. "Always, Mr. Rory. That's the number one rule for this team." 

"Good one," Rory snorted. 

Rip sighed heavily, looking very put upon and then turned his attention to Tommy. 

"As Mr. Palmer said, we're working on some ideas. But ultimately, the choice will be Sara's. Her history is so intertwined with her sister's that changing something about their past could affect Laurel too." 

"Laurel won't care," Tommy said firmly. 

Rip chuckled and Tommy had to repress an urge to deck him. 

"Yes, I'm quite familiar with the Lance sisters and their willingness to throw themselves under the bus for each other, thanks. Mr. Merlyn, I promise you that we are working on this. None of us want to lose Sara any more than you or Laurel do. And as soon as we're done with this particular side trip, we'll get back to trying to solve the problem of Ms. Lance's death." 

Tommy deflated slightly, the fight draining from him at Rip's reassurance. He looked around the room. 

"You're really trying to save Sara?" 

"I promise we are," Palmer answered. 

"If I can help-" Tommy started. 

"We'll call you," Rip promised. 

"Fine," Tommy said, and turned to let himself out of the spaceship. 

He only got about a block away when someone stepped out of an alley and shoved him up against the wall. 

"What the hell were you doing on the Waverider?" Sara growled. 

Tommy looked down at her, noticing for the first time that Laurel's sister really had grown into someone that was capable of killing a man with her bare hands-or was at least capable of projecting that aura. 

He considered his words very carefully. He didn't want to give her false hope, but he was also drawing a blank for what other story he could spin to explain it. 

Sara released him and scoffed in frustration. 

"You were asking if there was any way to save me, weren't you?" She turned away from him, not meeting his eyes. "There's not. And that's not what you should be focused on anyway." She looked back to meet his gaze. "There's a version of this timeline where Darhk kills Laurel. I came back here to make sure that doesn't happen. You need to get your head in the game and stay close to her." 

"What?" 

Sara took a step back. 

"You heard me," she said angrily. "So stop worrying about me and do what you can to protect Laurel." 

"Have you told Oliver?" 

Sara shook her head. 

"No. You're the only one I've told, and I'm not even supposed to be telling you, but you had to go and get distracted with my fate. And don't you dare tell Laurel. Telling her could just speed things along. You know how headstrong she is when you tell her that she can't do something. So just... just stay close to her, okay?' 

She didn't wait for an answer and turned and stalked away quickly, leaving Tommy staring after the youngest Lance with his mouth slightly open.


End file.
